Surgical procedures are complicated, dangerous and expensive. The tools used by surgeons are selected to provide the greatest utility and efficiency to achieve optimal outcomes for the patient. A basic tool used in virtually every surgical procedure is suction, which is implemented through a slender tube. During surgery, the suction tube may become clogged with tissue being removed from the surgical site. Once clogged, the suction apparatus requires a surgical assistant to clear the obstruction to enable the surgery to continue. With surgery costs into the hundreds of dollars per minute, every minute wasted is expensive and potentially dangerous for the patient.